Reciprocating machine

Abstract

A reciprocating engine comprising a cylinder, a piston performing reciprocating movement within the cylinder, a crank shaft performing rotational movement, a connecting rod connected rotatably at its one end to the crank shaft and at its the other end to the piston, and rollers each mounted on the side portion of the piston, in which the piston is in rolling contact with the cylinder through the rollers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A reciprocating machine comprising a support, a reciprocating member performing reciprocating motion in the support, a crank shaft peforming rotary motion, a connecting rod connected rotatably at its one end to said crank shaft and at its other end to the reciprocating member, and rolling means mounted on both side portions of the reciprocating member on a plane defined by the oscillating movement of the connecting rod, the rolling means respectively comprising a pin, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on the pin, and a spiral spring biasing means freely mounted on the pin between the rollers for resiliently urging the rollers away from each other along the axial direction of the pin, the rollers being in rolling contact with the support to carry out rolling contact between the support and the reciprocating member. 
     
     
       2. The reciprocating machine of claim 1, in which each roller of the pair of rollers is arranged along a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the oscillating movement of said connecting rod. 
     
     
       3. The reciprocating machine of claim 1 or 2, in which said reciprocating member has openings disposed on opposite sides of a skirt portion thereof, the pin being respectively mounted in each of said openings and extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the oscillating movement of said connecting rod. 
     
     
       4. The reciprocating machine of claim 1 or 2, in which the reciprocating member constitutes a piston and the support constitutes a cylinder. 
     
     
       5. The reciprocating machine of claim 1 or 2, in which each of said rollers comprises a roller bearing, an outer ring of said roller bearing has a cross-sectional profile corresponding to the configuration of the inner circumferential surface of said support with respect to the axial direction of the pin, said outer ring is axially movable to said pin, and said biasing means resiliently urges said outer rings away from each other in the axial direction of said pin. 
     
     
       6. The reciprocating machine of claim 1 or 2, in which each of said rollers comprises needle bearing, an outer ring of said needle bearings has a cross-sectional profile corresponding to the configuration of the inner circumferential surface of said support with respect to the axial direction of the pin, said outer ring is axially movable to said pin, and said biasing means resiliently urges said outer rings away from each other in the axial direction of said pin. 
     
     
       7. A reciprocating machine comprising a support, a reciprocating member performing reciprocating motion in the support, a crank shaft performing rotary motion, a connecting rod connected rotatably at its one end to said crank shaft and at its other end to the reciprocating member, and rolling means mounted on both side portions of the reciprocating member on a plane defined by the oscillating movement of the connecting rod, the rolling means respectively comprising a pin, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on the pin, a biasing means freely mounted on the pin between the rollers for resiliently urging the rollers away from each other along the axial direction of the pin, the rollers being in rolling contact with the support to carry out rolling contact between the support and the reciprocating member, and means for retaining the biasing means at a predetermined position between opposite surfaces of said rollers. 
     
     
       8. The reciprocating machine of claim 7, in which said retaining means comprises recesses on the opposite surfaces of the rollers. 
     
     
       9. The reciprocating machine of claim 7, in which said retaining means comprises a ring mounted on the pin between the rollers.